Antifriction-bearing.



H. A. MYERS. ANTIFRIGTION BEARING. APPLIOATION FILED MARA, 1912.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

NITED'I STATES PATEN uic.

HUBER-T A. MYERS, or eosmm, INDIANAQASSIGNOR. or ONE-HALF T0 am'nun s.

j Y HICKOK, or'roLEno, OHIO.

" ANTIFRIGTION-IBEARING.

To all whom it may concern Be i known that I, HUBERT A. MYERS, a citizen of the United States of America, and. resident of Goshen, Elkhart county, In diana, have invented a, ,certain new and useful Improvement in Antifriction-Bearings, of which the following is a specification. r

My invention relates to anti-friction bearings in general, but more particularly to those in which a wearing sleeve is employed for taking up wear, and especially to roller bearings of this kind in which the said sleeve 1s in the form of a spiral coil spring. 7 The object of my invention, generally stated, is to provide a novel and eflicient roller bearing of this character.

A special object is to provide an improved construction and arrangemeht whereby a spiral wedge is employed for changing thediameter of the spiral coil wearing sleeve when it is adjusted to take up wear.

'Another object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby one of the elements of themechanism for adjusting the said spiral coil sleeve serves also as a member of the thrust bearing by which the wheel or other rotary element held against axial movement.

To these and other useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section'of a roller bearing embodying the principles of my invention. Fi 2 is a transverse section in ig. l.

As thus illustrated, ,my invention comprises an axleA formed or provided with a spiral wedge B, the convolutions of which are each given a straight bevel from one edge thereof to the other. Thus the wedge formation is uniformfrom one end to the other, the bevel bein the same throughout thelength of the we ge. The s iral spring or coil sleeve C fits the said we ge, and has its convolutions formed tight together, whereby the cylindric outer surface of said sleeve. is smooth and practically continuous. Thus the said sleeve has an interior spiral 'wedge formation to fit the rigid axle, and the outer surface of said sleeve 'rovides v a wearing surface for the rollers J of the bearing. These rollers may be held in place in any suitable. manner, and the sleeve 0 v Specification of Letters Patent.

Applicationfiled March 4; 1912. Serial No. 681,355.

on line 2-2- PatentedDec. 29, 11914.

is held in place by a inut E, the latter being used for forcing the sleeve farther on to the axle to expand the sleeve when it is desired to take up wear. This nut E is beveled to engage the anti-friction balls F of the thrust bearing bywhich the wheel hub G is kept from shifting endwise. A lock nut e is also screwed upon the end of the axle, as

shown, and another nut e is then screwed upon the axle to engage the ballsatthe other side thereof. A lock nut e keeps the nut e in-place, and the balls travel between the beveled rings e and e screwed into the hub. These rings are held in the hub by the lock nutring 6?. Thus the nut E serves a doub1e-purpose,.being both a part of the roller bearing adjusting means and a part of the thrust bearin -The convolutions of the coiled wearing" sleeve G are tight together when the sleeve is first made, and for this reason the endwise adjustment of this sleeve is of a bodily nature, and the expansion of the sleeve is uniform from end to end, because the-'end wise movement of the sleeve is the same and uniform throughout the length thereof.

can lbej reg e (and coil sleeve can be outside-of the r0 lers if desired.

the forcible rotation of the said spring or. .coil is notnecessary, and forms no part ofthe inherent mode of operation of said mechanism. The adjusting nut serves not only to exert an endwise thrust or" push on the end of the spiral wearing sleeve, but also serves to hold the latter in" position against the tension thereof; This is because the normal tension of the sleeve servesto keep the conyolutions thereof tight together, and causes the sleeve to have a tendency to. recover its normal position, after being adjusted to take up wear. For the the wearing surface of the spiral sleeve. If the bearing is of the anti-friction variety,

broader purposes of my invention, any suitable means can be employed for engaging then rollers, such as shown, can-be employed 35 Other modifications are obvious, and I do means-,including a rigid spiral. wedge of i fixed form and length, whereby adj ustment of said, nut changes the diameter of said coil to take up wear, all of the convolutionsof, said c'oil being in. contact withv each other and tight. together to render said. wearing. surface smooth and practically, continuous ln-icha ra' ct'er for all. adjustments of said bearing, and, to insure uniform adjusting action throu hou't thelength thereof. 2. a, roller bearing, a set offrollers, a spiral, coil providing avcylindric wearing surface for'said rollers to travel over, a nut engaging? the" end of saidcoil, ascrew: threaded part. engaging said, nut and means includihga rigid spiral wedge of-fijxed form and length, whereby adiustment of said nut changes the diameter of said coil to take-up Wear,said spiral Wedge being formed wi h uniformly beveled convolutions integra ly limited at their. edges.

3. In a roller bearing, a set of ltoller's,-a

-spiral, coil. providing a cylindri'c wearing surface' for' said rollers to travel over, means for adjusting the coil endwise, and means including. a spiral wedge-whereby bodily endwise adjustment of said coil changes the diameter thereof to take up Wear, said spiral, wedge being inside of said sleeve, and an axis with which, s'aidi'wedg'e is solidly united, whereby said wedge is of fixed diameter and length, the bevel, or pitch of said wedge being; uniform throughout the spiral engaging surface thereof;

4;; In a roller bearing, a set of rollers, a spiral coil providing a cylindric weaning surfaeefor said rollers to travel over, means for adjusting the coil endwise, and means includinga spiral wedge whereby bodily endwise adjustment of said coil changes the diameter thereof totake up Wear, said, spiral 'dg having beveled convolutions, and the inside? of said coil being formed. with a spiral bevel engaging the saidbevel of the wedge, said w'eclgeybeing of fixed; diameter and length, the bevel o'r pitch of said wedge being uniform throughout the spiralengaging surface thereof.

In a roller bearing, a set of rollers,ja spilga'l' coil providing a cylindric wearing sur ace for said rollers to travel over, means for adjusting the coil endwise, and means including a spiral wedge whereby bodily endwise adjustment of said coil changes the diameter thereof to-take up Wear, each convolution, ofsaid wedge having a bevel extending from one edge thereof to the other, said: wedge being of fixed diameter and length, the bevel or pitch of said Wedge being uniform throughout the spiral; engagingsurface thereof. l

6. in a roller bearing, a set of rollers, a spiral coil providing a cylindric wearing internal and external diameter, the said coil having all the convoluti'ons thereof in contact with each other and retained thus tight together by the endwise thrust thereon,

wherebyisai'di wearing surface is smooth and practically unbroken throughout the entlr'e area" thereof,- for all. adjustments of said bearing.

7. In a bearing, a' spiral coil providing a 1 cylindric wearing surface, meansengaging said surface, a nut engaging the er'rd of said coil, whereby said coil is given bodily end.- wise adjustment, and means inchiding a rigid spiral wedge of fixed form and length, whereby adjustment of said nut changes the. diameter o'f said coil tof take up wear, all of the convohxtions of said coil being in contact with each other and tight togethertorender said surface smooth and practically continuous in'character' for; all adjustments of said bearing, and to insure; uniform adjusting action throughout the l'en'gthdthereofi 8. In a: bearing, a spiral ,coilproviding a cylindric wearing surface, means engaging said surface, a nutengaging t'lre end of said coil, a s'crewthreaded part enga ing. said nut, and means including a rigid s'piral Wedge of fixed form aj'nd length, whereby adjustment of said nut changes thediaimeter of said coil to take up wear, sa'id sp'iral Wedge beingformed with uniformly beveled eonvolutions integrally united at their edges.

9. I n a bearings spiral coil providing a cylindri'c wearing surface, means engagin saidsurface, means for adjusting the coil endwise, and means including-a spiral wed e wherebyf bod'i'ly endwise adjustment of said coil chan es the diameter thereof to take up wear, s'ai spfiraIW'e'dgebEin inside of's'aid sleeve, and-an axle with whi'c said wedge is solidly; united, whereby saidwedge is of fixed diameter and length,th' bevel or pitch of said. wedge being uniform throughout the spiral engaging surface thereof.

10. n a bearing, a SFllill coil prdi'i'dinga cylindri'cwearing surace, means engaging said surface, means for adjusting tliecoil endwise, and means including a spiral wedge .s .i a 75 surface for said rol'lers to travel over, means coil changes the diameter thereof to take up wear, saidspiralwedge having beveled convolutions, and the inside of said coil being formed with a spiral bevel engaging the said bevel of the wedge, said wedge being of fixed diameter and length, the b vel or pitch of said wedge being uniform throughout the spiral engaging surface thereof.

11. In a bearing, a spiralcoil providing a.

cylindric wearing surface, means engaging said surface, means for adgustmg the coil endwise, and means including a spiral wedge whereby bodily endwise adjustment of said coil changes the diameterth'ereof to take up wear, each convolution of said wedge having a bevel extending from one edge thereof to the other, said Wedge being of fixed diameter andlength, the bevel or pitch'of said wedge being uniform throughout the spiral engaging surface thereof. v

12. In a bearing, a spiral coil providing a cylindric wearing surface, means engaging said surface, means for exerting a simple endwise thrust on one end only of said coil, and means including a rigid spiral wedge of fixed form and length, whereby said thrust changes the diameter of said coil to take up wear, the opposite ends of said coil being of the same internal and external diameter, the said coil having all the convolutions' thereof in contact with each other and retained thus tight together by the endwise thrust thereon, whereby said-wearing surface is smooth and practically unbroken throughout the entire area thereof, for all adjustments of said bearing.

13. A bearing comprising means for tak mg up wear, said means including a spiral coil spring, and mechanism for causing a variation in the diameter of said spiral coil spring, having provisions whereby said var1a't1on is necessarily uniform throughout.

the length of said spiral coil spring, said bearing having meansfor engaging the surface of said spring, movable thereon about the axis of therbearing, said provisions inwhereby bodily endwise adjustment of said )cluding a series of engaging portions extend- -whereby the spring is dependent upon an axial thrust or pressure in the bearmg for the adjustment thereof, the sides of the con: volutions of said spring engaging each other for all conditions thereof, said bearing hav,

ing means for engaging the surface of said spring, movable thereon about the axis of the bearing, said provisions including a series of engaging portions extending longitudinally of the bearing, one for each convolution of the spring, and of fixed relation to each other.

15. A bearing comprising means for taking up wear, said means including a spiral coil spring, and mechanism for causing a variation in the diameter of said coil spring, haying provisions whereby said variation is necessarily uniform throughout\ the length of said spiral coil spring, said mechanism including a spiral wedge of fixed length and diameter, and means for causing relative a spring, of fixed relation to each other, and

forming said spiral wedge.

Signed b me at Chicago, Illinois, this 29th day 0 February, 1912.

HUBERT A. MYERS. Witnesses:

S. LEWIS, S. L..GLOVER. 

